FOOD FOR THOUGHT Ringplus sign up woes

[atsak]

Wondering if anyone has had problems buying online at ringplus. Trying to get a Ringplus plan for my visits south of the border. I have a US Credit card and US mailing address that is tied to it (ie from a US bank and to a mailbox in Niagara Falls NY).

I cannot get the purchase to go through on their site - it approves at my bank (I've called and I see it online as pending) but it always pops up the message "Can not charge your card at this time please try again later or contact us". I'm trying to buy a phone from them because my 5x won't pass the IMEI check with them.

I did of course contact them by making a ticket a couple weeks ago but they didn't answer, and I have tried a few times.

Anyone find any similar issues or is it just my bad luck?

 

[wardmundy]

I'm batting 1 for 3 purchasing phones from them. And the only one that got processed turned out to be defective. They sent me some canned response saying my card was either fraudulent or that the address didn't match up. Both B.S. My credit card company said they never even attempted to process a charge. They appear to have gone to the CloudAtCost Business School.

 

[atsak]

So can you sign up without a phone? If I could get them to send me a SIM I could visit radio shack or find some way to get something that worked . . .

 

[wardmundy]

Tried a different route yesterday.Created a new account with almost no goodies using an old clunker phone. No you can't create an account without signing up for service with a phone. You actually want one that you won't use so you can get up a very minimal plan for it.

Then go to the new RingPlus Classifieds and buy phones with existing plans that you like. Of course, the terms of the various past promos are almost impossible to find unless you know the secret location. And now there is a legal problem with sales that require continuing (and undisclosed) Member+ fees.

 

[wardmundy]

Complete XiVO Documentation (473 pages in PDF format) can be downloaded here.

 

[atsak]

I'm trying another trick now. I bought a Ringplus phone that passed their online verification on ebay, and a generic Sprint SIM that is supposed to work for Ringplus from a 3rd party sender. I will try using my card again, or else possibly try with my Visa Debit card as well, and if that doesn't work I'll get a prepaid card with one of our offices down there as the address and try that. It's a lot of work but the roaming savings are substantial for me so may as well try to make it happen.

 

[darmock]

Wondering if anyone has had problems buying online at ringplus. Trying to get a Ringplus plan for my visits south of the border. I have a US Credit card and US mailing address that is tied to it (ie from a US bank and to a mailbox in Niagara Falls NY).

I cannot get the purchase to go through on their site - it approves at my bank (I've called and I see it online as pending) but it always pops up the message "Can not charge your card at this time please try again later or contact us". I'm trying to buy a phone from them because my 5x won't pass the IMEI check with them.

I did of course contact them by making a ticket a couple weeks ago but they didn't answer, and I have tried a few times.

Anyone find any similar issues or is it just my bad luck?

I have tried several times with results similar to Ward's. I investigated further and talked to an investigator from Amex as well as a local LEO I have done work for in the past. Based on their conversations I won't be buying from the ringplus store anytime soon........ Recently I attempted for a third time to purchase something from the ringplus store. I notified Amex PRIOR to the purchase that it would happen. Ordered through the store and waited. About 3 hours later it was declined by RingPlus for security reasons as their super secret all seeing all knowing so called security system says it was fraudulent. I contacted Amex and they told me the charge verification never came through. About 3 hours later I got notification that my amex card had just been used to purchase 1.4K$ at the apple store and also 2K$ at an online wine store..... with a delivery address in California. Needless to say they cancelled the card and I was put in touch with an investigator.

The gist of it was of course these two incidents could not be related and it was merely coincidence that it happened just after being declined by them. In fact RingPlus had done me a favor by letting me know that my card was fraudulent. ( ever noticed how pretty pigs are when they are flying? )

Contacted Ringplus and usual BS that their system is all seeing and all knowing and no we can't tell you why you were declined as it would provide you with trade secrets........

I suspect that all future charge attempts using amex with R+ may incur extra scrutiny by Amex. (tried other cards with same result)


Damn them crooks are getting smart and I am really careful...

(As an aside if you use a PO Box or a UPS store address R+ told me they will not ship to them)

Tom

 

[atsak]

It's not UPS or PO Box ;-) Interesting though. Glad the banks protect you on this stuff. Prepaid card may be the way to go on this if I can get it to work.

 

[stanjohn]

I'm gullible and care-less but lucky. No problems with R+ yet - but even I wonder when the punch bowl will be gone. Free / low cost stuff is a addiction yes I still stop to pick up pennies.

 

[atsak]

We dont' even have pennies any more . . .

 

[wardmundy]

 

[darmock]

Darn Ward is it my imagination or are those guys YOUNG! Holy crap must be getting old..... Damn young whipper snappers


A very good chuckle thanks unca Ward.


Tom

 

[wardmundy]

Darn Ward is it my imagination or are those guys YOUNG! Holy crap must be getting old..... Damn young whipper snappers


A very good chuckle thanks unca Ward.


Tom

And I believe a birthday cake is in order today as well...

 

[darmock]

Almost a day late and a $ short but thanks! Riding yesterday for a meet with a local LEO and a guy ran the red and turned in front of me....Good thing I have quick reflexes for a man of my advanced years! He hurt his truck and my bike got a mere scratch.... then he got a ticket for running the red! My friends on the local PD were unhappy with him as he complained quite vigorously about how it was my fault.......and he doesn't have to sign the ticket.... Off to the hoosegow. Luckily I have dashcams on all my cars and motorcycles....

The moral of the story is he was late to see his friend in the hospital who had been in a car accident.... you just can't make this stuff up....

The cake kind of reminds me of my fire academy days last century.....

Tom

 

[briankelly63]

I recommend using virtual credit card numbers (if your bank card offers) with services like this that can be set for a limited amount for a limited time.

Can be very helpful when you want to stop auto-renewal in it's tracks.

 

[atsak]

TD doesn't offer the virtual cards at this point. FYI the card I used to make this purchase attempt was compromised . . . I see tonnes of pending charges I didn't make today. They have definitely been exploited; I rarely use it for anything else except Amazon and this so there's no other possible explanation. This is a big deal - @wardmundy need to give people the headsup not to use credit cards on their site . . .

 

[wardmundy]

@darmock experienced the same thing. However, we haven't seen it with two different credit cards. Kinda depends upon the safeguards your CC company has in place, I suppose. There's credit card fraud everywhere unfortunately. I used a card I rarely use at a local drug store recently and, within hours, there were hundreds of dollars of charges to the card from the other side of the country. Good luck finding someone to address that.